Shabby chic continues to be one of the
most enduring décor styles. Part of the charm of the style is that
it's so personalized. Designers start with preferences for the style.
You add your own personal touches.
Glass and mirrors are optimal porch
additions. The materials themselves are weatherproof. What's more,
they help keep a covered porch from feeling dim by reflecting light.
Both glass and mirrors also work well within the shabby chic
construct.
Shabby Chic Design Preference:
Curves and Scallops
With shabby chic, straight lines are
not favored. Designers prefer curved or even scalloped edges. This
aspect of the style relates to its preference for objects that feel
feminine. What's more, the décor style favors more ornate pieces.
Mirrors are an ideal method for
handling this preference for curves. You can look for mirrors cut
into curvy shapes. You can find ones with ornate frames or custom
order a mirror in such a shape. You often see mirrors with peaked
tops. With a custom order mirror, consider asking for an elaborate
edge, such as waterfall or ogee, if you're not having it framed.
The mirror itself doesn't have to
feature the curves. You could choose a frame with curves or scallops
in the design. This style of mirror is ideal if you don't want an
overtly feminine ambience on your porch.
Shabby Chic Design Preference:
Vintage Items
Shabby chic is one of the styles that's
supposed to simulate the use of inherited or found objects in décor.
You're supposed to get a sense that you raided your grandparents'
attic for some of the items. You can achieve this aesthetic with
actual attic or garage sale finds.
Imagine you find a shabby cupboard. You
often find these furniture items discarded because the glass is
missing or broken. A custom glass shop can replace the glass with
ease. Such a cupboard would be ideal for storing gardening supplies
or whatever else you want easy access to.
If you're patronizing flea markets and
estate sales, be on the lookout for any décor item you can have the
glass replaced in. You can even use glass to protect an aged surface.
For instance, say you find the perfect vintage wood table. You could
have your glass specialists cut a glass cover to protect the surface.
Shabby Chic Design Preference:
Shades of White
Designers use many soft colors in
shabby chic décor. However, the base color is usually some shade of
white. You see shades ranging from stark white to creamy beige.
A mirror with a white frame is ideal in
this circumstance. You could look for a mirror with an elaborate
frame in white. One with a distressed finish is ideal, too. You could
even ask that the mirror itself feature a distressed patina. Custom
glass stores have mirror glass with prefabricated aging available for
their creations.
Shabby Chic Design Preference:
Distressed Finishes
In that vein, designers are not above
faking an aged patina. If they can't find the perfect vintage item,
they'll use one with a distressed finish to simulate that aged
appearance.
Since mirrors on your porch don't need
to be as functional as those inside the house, consider custom
ordering any of them with distressed patina. You can order glass in
the same manner. For instance, if you're replacing glass in a vintage
cupboard, consider specifying a distressed or otherwise milky
appearance. As a boon, the opaque glass will hide what's inside.
Shabby Chic Design Preference: Shiny
Details
While found objects are prized in the
décor style, designers also favor a sense of glamour. So they use
shiny surfaces to offset the distressed ones.
For example, think back to your found
table. You probably wouldn't want a distressed surface for the
protective glass because you want to see that vintage wood. However,
you could top the table with an aged bowl. Conversely, you could
order a mirror with distressed glass but a gilt frame. These kinds of
contradictions are how you can personalize your shabby chic décor.
Create a shabby sense of chic on your
porch with customized glass and mirrors. Contact Monterey
Glass Specialists Inc.
for all your glass needs.
